Discuss “How Things Work: Fall Leaves”

My affection for autumn leaves is like a CS nerd?s love for Linux. Have you even noticed those gorgeous red maples next to Warner, the stunning orange foliage near the tennis courts, or the yellow glory of the stately oaks along Baker?

And if you think a few oak trees are nice, try a walk in Schenley Park, where a trail is transformed into a stairway to heaven. Lest this piece descend any further into effusive adjectives, I now present the science of dead leaves: that is, why leaves turn those pretty colors that they do.

So suppose that you?re God, and you?ve decided to give Earth?s weather a little variety. You?ve already managed to get the sun in place, with the Earth and its moon in a fairly circular orbit around it. The question is: Do...